


The Secrets That Keep You Safe

by BlackStormsShadow (orphan_account)



Category: The Avengers - Ambiguous Fandom
Genre: FrostIron - Freeform, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, S.H.E.I.L.D. - Freeform, Skrull, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2012-05-23
Updated: 2013-03-30
Packaged: 2017-11-05 20:44:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,856
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/410830
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/BlackStormsShadow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Loki somehow ends up battered and bruised in Tony's workshop and the engineer doesn't know what to do. He soon finds out about the secrets S.H.E.I.L.D. keeps from him and the rest of the Team.<br/>Based after The Avengers.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Each added break between paragraphs is a transfer from authors.  
> {I write Tony's perspective ~ Black Storm's Shadow}  
> [And I write Loki's ~ Cas]

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Loki's magic is a little off kilter, he's in bad shape and, some how, he finds himself in Tony's home.  
> As it turns out, Tony's got a soft spot for ... interesting stuff.  
> And Loki is some _really_ interesting stuff ...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each added break between paragraphs is a transfer from authors.  
> {I write Tony's perspective ~ Black Storm's Shadow}  
> [And I write Loki's ~ Cas]

"What. Are. **You**. Doing here ...?" Tony growled when the pain in the arse of a god appeared out of thin air … right in front of him?

Loki took a couple of seconds just to stare, registering his surroundings. He swore under his breath in Asgardian or something as he realised where he was. "… it was an accident."

“Oh I'm **sure** it was," Tony glared at him.  
He was nowhere near his suit and Loki could kill him in a flash before he could even get Jarvis to call their Friendly Neighbourhood God of Thunder.

"No, really ..." Loki muttered, coughing, "I'd much rather be ... elsewhere ..." He swayed a little, apparently thrown off-kilter by something, and finally pitched to the floor face-first.

"Shit," Tony glanced down at the trickster and sighed. "Seriously? You're playing **dead**? That's just-" Tony stopped rambling on about how pathetic he thought Loki's acting was when he saw a small pool of blood gathering around the God's stomach.

Despite being face-planted into the floor, Loki still managed to mumble something that sounded bitter and probably offensive.

"Don't think I didn't hear that," Tony chuckled at the not-too-positive-sounding mumbling the God was making. Finally, reluctantly, he scooped the god up over his shoulder. "I'm only doing this because Thor'll kill me if I let you die," he muttered, setting Loki carefully on a workbench. Tony resigned himself to tending to some of the various wounds on the trickster. Pepper and Jarvis had made sure he was able to take care of minor injuries because Pepper wasn't around all the time anymore ... they split - again - After a couple bad turns, target-hitting swings and plenty of electric shocks from the multiple villains the Avengers were sent to apprehend.

Loki sat still, hunched over slightly with his long pale fingers clutching protectively at his stomach wound, blood seeping between his fingers. Under normal circumstances he would never have let _Tony Stark_ touch him, especially when he was in such a state, but since he saw stars whenever he blinked and the room span when he tried to look up, he decided it was probably best not to protest just yet. He could attempt escape later, when he had a bit more blood in his system and could actually see straight. Might as well take advantage of the mortal's (unexpected) kindness while he could, and vanish himself out of there later.

Tony started humming an odd tune - an old lullaby - that he remembered from his childhood as he worked. He hadn't heard it in years, but the mood seemed right and he didn't know if Loki would like his music- 'Wait ... wait wait wait wait wait! ... SINCE **WHEN** DO WE CARE WHAT HE LIK-' Tony's thought was cut short when a weak voice whispered roughly in front of him, "I ... I know that tune."  
Tony's head whipped up in surprise, his hands tightening around the bandage he was about to apply to the God and a lump formed in his throat. He wouldn't _ever_ tell this to anyone ... but Loki had the most mesmerising eyes ... They were ... _beautiful_. He shook his head and continued in silence the God watching him like a hawk ... a very predatory hawk about to scream _STOP TOUCHING ME YOU FILTHY MORTAL_ **any** second now ... He was ... it was ... just ... taking him a while to register that this was _Tony Stark_ 's house he was in. _Tony_ 's bench he was sitting on ... and _Tony_ 's hand he wasn't growling at that was passing over his slim frame.

Loki's tongue darted across his cracked lips, tasting blood. He was focusing on Stark, eyes narrow - partially because it just took too much effort for him to hold his eyes fully open, but also because he was still trying to focus on Stark, trying to work out exactly what was going on. Under the aching pain in most of his bones, he gradually became aware of the feeling of Stark's hands, surprisingly warm and gentle, moving across skin that has been cold for centuries. He was hypnotised for several moments - until Stark touched something particularly painful, some tear in his flesh, and he hissed.

"Hey! I can't help if you push me away!" Tony said, exasperated at the childishness that Loki could even possess. "Fine ... Jarvis ... get Thor on the li-" and once again the Trickster attacks, his hand gripping firmly onto Tony's neck.

"You will do no such thing," he hissed in the mortal's ear. He grunted as he tried to right himself, but this _man_ was no Asgardian healer. He did not possess the healing magics they did. He should not even _expect_ the courtesy Tony was showing.  
Loki huffed out a frustrated breath, bloody fingers slipping from Stark's throat to his chest as that sudden burst of energy dissipated. He still glared, with a look that really could kill if he put in a bit more effort. "You will keep that _cretin_ out of this," he spat, blood flecking his lips. The god was putting on a good show, but the pain he felt was almost visible underneath the icy shield he wore.

Tony turned back around, now face to face with the man with a murderous glint in his eye.  
"Jarvis?"  
"Yes sir?" the British accent filtered into the room. Loki was probably the first person to **not** look around to find the source. Or maybe he already knew it was undeterminable and didn't bother ... just kept _glaring_ at him like that.  
"Scratch that," he said, his voice slightly hoarse as he went back to tending to Loki's wounds. "Of course sir." the VI (Virtual Intelligence) replied.  
Tony glanced back at Loki's eyes as he finished wrapping the bandage, and they were still piercing green orbs that were staring into his very soul. Grasping and obtaining every little titbit about him. "Whatever you do ... don't go and _lick_ your wounds like a cat when you eventually get out of here. I won't tell S.H.E.I.L.D. and you won't tell your little Super Villain friends how to get in ... deal?" Tony took a step back, held out his hand in an offer to shake on the deal.

Loki's eyes narrowed further, distrusting. He was reluctant to move his hands away from their protective grip over his stomach wound, but finally he relinquished it and briefly shook Stark's hand. His fingers were cold, even the blood on them was cold. Blue-blooded could not describe anyone more accurately than the god of Chaos. The handshake lasted only a brief second or two before his hands returned to cradle his body.  
He lowered his head again, somewhat reluctantly, but purely because the energy to keep his head up was more than he possessed. Now that Stark was no longer practically molesting him (no matter how good the man's intentions may have been, the experience was still highly uncomfortable for the god, who hadn't been touched other than to be abused in longer than he could really remember) all he wanted to do was collapse somewhere and sleep for about a century.  
If Stark would let him go, he was sure he could muster the strength to put up some wards. But teleportation seemed out of the question right now.

  
Tony was just about to go back to work and leave Loki to his own devices when he saw how weak the god was.

He took a deep breath in and let it out again. "You'll need to sleep, rest, I'm told it helps ... but if you know anything about me, I don't do what Pepper wants. _Ever_." Tony chuckled to himself at the last bit and extended a hand to help Loki of the table.  
"There's a bed upstairs that no one ever uses. You'll be fine." Tony was a little hesitant (only as much as anyone else would be when they have God in their workshop (home) that could kill them in a mere moment before they could ever _think_ about defending themselves) but his hand was steady as he holds it out.

Loki eyed the offered hand suspiciously, not exactly keen on the idea of touching Stark more than necessary (and no, he wasn't going to admit to himself that it was because the touch was comforting and he was scared he might get attached, no, definitely not). But finally, he surrendered to the fact that he would be totally incapable of going anywhere by himself until he'd had some time to sleep and heal and recover. So, with a defeated sigh, he once again placed his hand in Stark's, refusing to look up and meet his gaze. That glare was still set on his face, but a little more subdued now.

Tony sighed internally and shrugged _. 'The sooner he rests, the sooner he's better, the sooner he's better then the sooner he leaves,'_ he thought, over and over again, shoving all other thoughts out of his head. Thoughts like _'why is he so cold'_ and _'he's **very** light for a god in all that leather and metal'_ and _'Why does he trust me?'_ Tony gently shook his head and led the God up the stairs ( _STAIRS?! right ... the elevator! that was my next job!_ ) and into the guest room.  
"It's a little chilly in here ... but the fire should warm it up in no-" Tony stopped himself and lead the man to the bed. "I'll ... Just ... tell Jarvis if you need anything".

  
 _A lot of people believe that Tony Stark has no heart. It's not true though. Underneath all the booze and girls and parties, is a lonely man who always lived under his father name and never lived up to the man's expectations. The only person that has ever been close enough to see that side of him was Pepper. But he was too afraid to show it. He hides behind the tabloids and that mask he built for himself, never letting it down, for anyone ... until one green eyed God comes magically transporting himself into his home and is glaring daggers at him. That's when Tony Stark has a heart? ...  
You better believe it baby!_

Loki just stood on the spot Stark had led him to, swaying ever so slightly from side to side, gaze trained on the ground. That simple act of moving to that room was enough to completely drain what was left of his energy, and it was taking all of his strength just to stay on his feet, arms wrapped protectively, defensively around his slim battered body. He swallowed, managing a slight nod. His mind was reeling, thoughts all pushing in and fighting for attention -- foremost, what on earth was he doing in Tony Stark's home and why was he being _kind_ to him? Why hadn't he called up Fury and the rest of the Avengers and hold on, the ground was reeling towards him and why was he suddenly in the man's arms, with the floor much closer than it had been seconds ago?

"Shit," Tony had taken two steps ... TWO STEPS and the God was already plunging dangerously towards the ground. He'd darted in microseconds and was suddenly under the weakened God, holding him up in his arms.  
"Here," he said, shuffling and juggling the man a little to a more comfortable position and then giving up and going bridal style. "Don't kill me." Tony was hoping Loki was out cold right now and had _no idea_ what was happening. He carried the feather light body to the bed and laid him down, pulling a patchwork quilt over the God's body.  
He went to check his temperature and pulse when he recoiled like he'd be burnt ... like ... frostbite ... _'no ... That's not possible'_. Tony warmed up his hands and tried again.  
 _'Yep ... he's definitely **cold** '_ he couldn't stop his fingers from lightly dragging along that slim, defined jaw as he pulled his hands away. The man's skin was soft like velve- _'NO! THIS IS LOKI!'_  
Tony walked out of the room, gathering the little amount of dignity he had left and went back down to his workshop ... after ordering Jarvis to keep tabs on Loki and tell him whether anything fluctuates unhealthily.  
Jarvis so sarcastically replied, "He's whole body's functions are unhealthy compared to humans sir."

"Then ... Compare him against Thor for Christ’s sake!" Tony growled at the computer and tried to continue his work when Jarvis interrupted again, saying, "But his are different to Thor's bodily functions ... not only naturally colder but his organs are different and his body shape is of a similar situation."  
"But he's an Aesir! ... wait ... Jarvis. Bring up the S.H.E.I.L.D. file on Loki Laufeyson ... I want everything on my tablet." he had no interest in the devices on his bench right now ... Loki had decided to steal his concentration ... _selfish bastard_.  
“Of course sir. 18% transferred.” Jarvis reported jovially at Tony picked up the tablet and sat down at his workbench, devices and gadget forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tony read some pretty deep shit in Loki's file and he's come up with a lot of questions. But when Loki wakes up, he can't really bring himself to interrogate him.  
> Books, some self depreciating thoughts and a suggestion of pudding later, Tony realises that there are some things that Loki doesn't want to talk about. At all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Each added break between paragraphs is a transfer from authors.  
> {I write Tony's perspective ~ Black Storm's Shadow}  
> [And I write Loki's ~ Cas]

Tony had spent the last 18 hours deflecting calls from Pepper, Fury and Steve while he was going through Loki's file ... over and over and over again.  
23 cups of coffee, 18 hours, nearly a dozen calls and 5 times reading through the whole file thoroughly, Tony found himself slumped in a chair beside the bed Loki was currently occupying. Small snores could be heard from under the blanket he'd pulled over himself and his tablet was dropped on the floor, cup of coffee knocked over in the opposite direction.

The first thing to hit him was pain. That was what woke him, slowly, starting at the wound from his stomach and winding its way through his nervous system, to the very tips of his fingers. For a little while he couldn't move, other than to curl in on himself and lie tense while he waited for the pain to die down to a more bearable level.  
Finally he opened his eyes, and was immediately alert as his green-eyed gaze fell on Anthony Stark. He cursed internally. He was in an enemy's home, injured, without wards. Of course his first reaction was to attempt to put up his usual wards, but magic failed him. Not enough energy. In fact, he didn't have enough energy to do anything much. Just lie there and glare uselessly at the mortal across from him - who seemed to be asleep.

The thing that woke him wasn't the sound of the satin sheets rustling, the hiss of pain, or even Jarvis when he spoke into the earpiece. It was the unnerving feeling of a cold, dagger-like glare that Natasha was so fond of using on him all the time.  
He mumbled, poked his head above the warm blanket, groaned at the sharp pain shooting up his back from sleeping in an uncomfortable position and cursed when he saw the over-turned coffee mug, brown staining in the aqua blue carpet beside the bed.  
Tony couldn't remember when he bothered to worry about such things, Pepper would clean it up, but those were ‘expensive oak floorboards’ and a destroyed woollen carpet will get him in deep shit with the red haired assistant of his.  
The engineer turned in his seat and was instantly met with a piercing, emerald gaze peeking out from under the cream coloured quilt.  
"Morning ... Afternoon? ... Evening ... What-ever-the-fuck-the-time-is-right-now?" he kept looking around the room, as if he were searching his mind's body clock to figure out the hour of day or night.  
"Jarvis? What's the time?" Tony sat up, and the blanket pooled in his lap. He rubbed sleep from his eyes and leaned on his hand on the arm of the chair.  
"11:03 in the morning sir" the Virtual Intelligence replied.

Loki said nothing, reluctant to shift out from where he was cocooned in the blankets. Everything hurt, not just his wounds, but his head too. He would have loved to go back to sleep, preferably for a really, _really_ long time, but not with Tony Stark around. The god narrowed his eyes and curled his fingers into his blanket, dragging it up over his head. This situation was far more than he could cope with at this point in time.

Tony smiled fondly at the site of Loki pulling the blanket over his head, it was what he wanted to do right now too. "Go back to sleep" he murmured and stood up, the fond smile still tugging at the corners of his lips.  
'He'd read books wouldn't he? Thor said he always like reading, always in the Royal Library looking for a book, or parading around the castle, stuck face first in a tome. He'd like books'  
"Jarvis ... can we get take out breakfast ... if that’s at all possible?" Tony asked the computer as he made his way down to the ‘study-slash-library’. "Of course sir" Jarvis replied. "Can we get uh ... actually, screw it ... get me pudding ... I've got a craving" Tony smiled at nothing in particular and began his raid on the shelves.  
"Isaac Asimov, C.S.Lewis, Douglas Adams ... Jarvis? Do you think He'd like Sherlock?" Tony asked, mulling over the books in the shelves.

Loki didn't manage to get back to sleep, being far too disturbed by being in such an unfamiliar and potentially dangerous environment. Instead he lay there in that foetal position and considered his situation. After quite some time, he came to the final conclusion that, for now ... Tony Stark was not a threat. If he'd wanted to kill the god, he could've done so already, quite easily too, according to the state he was in. Though, as it was, his intentions did not seem malicious.  
It took quite a good deal of effort, but the battered god eventually managed to force himself to sit up. That was step one. Step two was standing up, which would take considerably more concentration.  
He glanced down at himself, and realised with a grimace that he was borderline naked; although, bandages hid most of his body. So Loki bunched the blanket up and pulled it over his shoulders like a cape, for comfort as well as to hide himself. Then, hunched over, he managed to drag himself up off the bed. By following the sounds of Tony Stark apparently talking to himself, he found the man in what appeared to be a library.  
"... What are you doing ...?" He grumbled finally, leaning against the doorframe. "You have ... books? I believed you to be a man of technology ..."

Tony perked up to see just the man he was talking about. "Looking for books" he replied. "Yes I have books! Why does everyone ask that?" Tony grumbled and made his way over to the desk and placed down several books, 15 in total. "Technology eventual runs out, edits can be made and in the end you don't have the same thing you started with. A book can last for a long time, hundreds of years even, their knowledge is mostly accurate, depending on the subject and ... they smell" Tony explained animatedly, his hands flying out in front of him making odd and sometimes indecipherable movements. Tony sighed and glanced back at the god.  
Tony's brief glance turned into an all out stare. Loki was standing in only a blanket. _A blanket_. Tony _swore_ he was wearing pants and a loose shirt when he put him in the bed. Seriously ... a very attractive god of mischief clothed only in a blanket was the worst thing his brain could deal with right now.  
"Uh ... I'll ... We need to get you some clothes" Tony managed when he found his voice again after picked his jaw up off the floor.

Loki just stood there listening to the mortal flail and gesture, clutching his blanket around his shoulders. His eyes were half-closed, partially because he was glaring but mostly just because he was too tired to hold them open. "They ... smell ...?" he finally asked, raising one eyebrow in that sceptical manner of his.

"Technology ... doesn't smell ... Books have a smell. It makes them ... more enjoyable. Things with smells are more fun," Tony's replied, turning back to stare at the knots of wood in the table top.

This only causing Loki to look even _more_ sceptical - which was saying something, considering it was one of his default expressions.  
He almost laughed at Tony's suggestion, amused by the mortal's obvious discomfort. He tugged the blanket tighter around his shoulders; mercifully, there was a lot of it, and it swamped him completely. "The clothing was an illusion, Stark, and I no longer have the energy to uphold it. But the gesture is admirable."

"Yeah ... mental note: I should get you some clothes" Tony started tapping out a serious of beats that seemed impossible to make coherent.  
Tony collected a handful of books and walked carefully up to Loki. He found himself melting from the look in those emerald eyes. "You like to read right?" Tony asked, feeling all too much like a school boy with a crush.

Loki just stood there, holding his blanket, too exhausted to bother reacting much anymore.  
He wondered what Tony expected him to do when he was offered the books; his arms were inside the blanket, he couldn't very well let go without revealing everything. "Erm," he began, brows furrowing in vague bewilderment. "… Yes ..."

Tony realised his stupidity and smiled sheepishly. "I uh ... we should- you should ... bed ... bed sounds like fun, let's get you back to bed" Tony started walking slowly beside the god as they headed back to the spare bedroom, staying by his side just in-case he collapsed.  
"I hope you don't mind but most of the books I have are either Detective stories or Science Fiction" Tony glanced up at the god, no reaction. 'He must be _really_ tired' Tony thought 'Or maybe I'm just really boring'.  
Tony's gaze dropped with that thought. 'Maybe I'm _not_ smart enough … maybe everyone’s right' He looked away as they found their way into the hallway outside the bedroom.

"Uh, I think I'd actually ... prefer to stay conscious ..." The god started, but trailed off, realising he couldn't be bothered protesting. So Loki just wandered along beside him, trying not to trip over his blanket. "… Never mind ..." he muttered, pushing into the bedroom and dropping onto the edge of the bed.  
Tony's casual manner was concerning him a little; he'd been expecting the mortal to freak out or call SHIELD or something. Not provide him with reading material, of all things. "… Erm, what are you doing, Anthony Stark?" He wasn't really sure how to phrase the question; he was too confused and tired for coherency.

Tony looked up wearily and met the confused face of one Loki Laufeyson. He trudged into the room, sadly depressed.  
"I'm helping you ... you can leave if you want" Tony murmured as he sat beside the God, books still in hand.  
"You can read or do whatever it is you normally do until you're magic is back ... I just ... I have some questions if that's ... If you'll answer them" Tony turned his head and glanced up at the taller man as he spoke. 'Damn those deep, beautiful eyes for making him feel so inadequate'.

Loki sat still and quiet for several moments, glass green eyes searching Tony's face. He seemed sincere; that was strange. The Tony Stark Loki knew was sarcastic and biting basically 24/7. This was not what he was used to, and it was unsettling to say the least. If the man insisted to continue to show him hospitality, that put him at risk of growing attached to him, which was just one hundred percent unacceptable.  
"I'll answer yours if you'll answer mine," he says finally.

"Sure ... Why ... Why are you so cold? You're skin was so cold it burnt last night ..." Tony started.  
Well ... this was going to become the start of a very interesting conversation.  
"I mean, I know a lot already, I went through your file. Your bro-" Tony stopped himself when he saw the anger momentarily flash in Loki's eyes. "Thor ... is recorded to say that you aren't Aesir ... and you're definitely not human" Tony finished.  
'Maybe I'm pestering him. Maybe this was a bad idea. Maybe ... Maybe he's just hurt- no ... this is Loki remember ... God of the cold shoulder. Mr No-Emotions' Tony stared down at the books again, waiting for an answer.

Loki's eyes widened ever so slightly at the question; it was unexpected, and to tell the truth he was reluctant to answer.  
It would be an understatement to say that Loki's heritage was a touchy subject; he still hadn't entirely come to terms with it himself, not matter how much he pretended.  
For a moment, he sat in silence, wondering how to reply. But he was concerned that Tony might start talking again, so he answered finally. "I am a Jötunn," his voice was low and guarded, but steady. "What you might call a Frost Giant."

Tony could actually _hear_ the way Loki forced the words out. 'No go zone then' Tony decided.  
"Uh ... what about the Chitari ... how did that happen?" Tony looked up at the God again, noticing that his line of questioning was already pissing him off as he watched the way Loki was attempting to control his breathing. "You know what ... never mind-" Tony Felt the ice-cold hands grip his arm. 'SHIT!'  
"You have questions ... As do I. You _will_ sit" he heard Loki grit out between clenched teeth. He complied.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Lone and unbeta'd as I thought I owed you guys and I didn't end up going through with my idea to change the story.  
> Any spelling mistakes are the fault of the writer - Black Storm's Shadow

The silences is deafening, if silence can be deafening. It's cold and harsh and well ... _silent_. He can almost hear the hum of the arc reactor in the room and he's so distracted that he doesn't hear what Loki says. "I will ask of you a question before I honour yours with a reply" he murmurs, turning his head towards Tony, and the engineer, being so close, can see the evidence of just how tired he is. "Sure" he replies curtly, nodding in accompaniment to his word.

"How much does SHIELD know of the Chitari?" Loki's voice is almost quiet being so close to him and Tony breathes in a deep breath, and speaking in a controlled manner "Jarvis, can you please provide us with the information SHIELD has on the invading armies".

The AI takes a few seconds to reply, riffling through the information on the key words. "There are 3 logs on species 4-delta-2. They provide little information on the species, including their resistance to cold, their touch exterior shell plating and their solid, stone like interior of the anatomy. The reports appear rushed and incoherent." the voice supplies and Tony glances over at Loki.

The Trickster appears deep in concentration and barely moves when Tony nudges him, except to move like an eagle and stare at his hazily. "How did they get to you?" Tony asks, nervously threading his fingers together in his lap. Loki replies bluntly "I fell" and offers no more in leeway of an explanation. He merely goes on to ask his next question when Tony begins to open his mouth.

"What kept you from the power of the tesseract?"

His throat chokes up and he feels like he's been asked to recite pie to the thousandth decimal place on his third birthday. Again. "Power" he simply states, retaliation for Loki's annoyingly simple reply to his second question. The God stares at him again, eyebrow raised pointedly as though requesting elaboration, an extensive answer to which his facial expression seems to say " _You elaborate and I will_ ". Loki turns his head stares into his obviously interesting nothingness and Ton feels like he can hear the tick-tick-tick of his thoughts turning over every microsecond.

"Why are you here ... In my house ... sitting in my guest bedroom?" Tony sits straighter as Loki sighs and murmurs "I tire of this game" almost inaudibly, like weariness has been flooding through him the moment they walked back through the door.

"Stark, I am dressed in nothing but a blanket, I am tired and, given the opportunity to rest, you will not be seeing me again for quite some time. If you would leave me be for a mere 6 hours, I can be gone" The God looks at him, blinking slowly, tired, as he curls his fingers into the edge of the blanket and pulls it further around himself.

Tony slowly stands and walks to the door way, the Prince still seated calmly at the end of the guest bed when he turns back and states "If you need anything, just ask Jarvis, We'll try and help any way we can".

~oOo~

He's got the channel open, ready to connect, SHIELD just waiting to be rung ... but every time he looks down at the CCTV footage, all he seems is a lump under a blanket and ink black hair leaking like tendrils over the silk sheets and pillow set. His skin is sunken and sallow, but what's worse, is that the tech doesn't pick up the same frequency as Loki's magic, so he can see every scar, every cut every bruise in faint flickers.

What's worse ... is that in those faint flickers of the magic, Tony sees the shaven head instead of long ebony locks, he sees the haphazard cutting job and the hacks of skin, the scars and the stitches where Loki's scalp has been slices by whoever cut his hair off.

In the end, he ends up calling Thor and gets a hesitant explanation of how in Norse culture, the length of one's hair symbolises their freedom, a man with long hair would be considered a man of his own. A man with little to no hair, or extremely unkempt hair ... was essentially considered a _slave_. So basically intergalactic Viking tradition states that Loki is a slave, and a slave of a specific person that is currently haunting him because he knows what a face contorted in pain looks like, he's seen it in the mirror all the often to ignore it so easily.

Loki is having _nightmares_.

 _Painful_ nightmares.

~oOo~

He only remembers the pain of the blade in his side, the feel of blood dripping down his neck from his open wounds, the silver made cuts covering his near naked body head to toe and the sharp cold of stone underfoot. There's a spiralling pain rippling through his body with each step and the walls are uneven as he trails a hand over their surface to guide his towards the faint light far off in the distance, too many twists and turns away.

He feels his way through the caves, the resounding drip-drip-drip of water falling from stalactites clinging in their salted forms to the ceiling. He's met a dead end at least three times now, the sound of the booted feet behind him gradually getting closer as they echo off the eroded rock of the walls. He limps as he's caught on a stalagmite, tumbling to the floor in all his naked glory. He scrambles on the surface of the caves and continues searching for the way out.

He's surprisingly cold, unusually so, and his AEsir form glimmers every so often, faded blue showing through the surface. He fears what would happen if his pursuer saw him like this.

For all they know, he's just a feeble human and their tortures were just conveniently created and have nothing to do with his cultures beliefs.

That is what he hopes, anyway.

The light as he turns the corner near blinds him, the heat as he stands out in the sun blistering to his skin, feet sinking into the sand as he treks nakedly up the cove, looking for a safe place to hide as the footsteps sound to the entrance way of the cave. He clambers into an almost invisible crevice in the side of the cliffs. He waits, head turned outwards as his attacker wanders past, a brute of a man with a gnarled looking face and an old aged appearance.

He stops and turns back, Loki sinking back into his crevice as he calls out "'E's gone sir, not here no more" his voice is as disturbing as his face, a croak of a throat and a wheezy coughing sound following the announcement. "It does appear that way" a voice sounds, slick as oil behind him, nearer to the cave, near silent steps stopping short of the crevice.

In an instant everything turns and he finds himself toppling out of the crevice.

Unthinkingly, he knows, this is where the nightmares start, as they are want to do.

The man, 'Sir', is a snake like creature, long and thick in build as it towers over him, hissing and dripping it's poisons over his body, searing through the ice formed around his injuries and opening him up again to everything, all the pain and fear. "You cannot run from me, little Prince" it hisses and coils around him, crushing his body in its own.

"You can never be safe from me, little Prince, I will find you, and I will destroy you" is hisses and he blacks, splitting to an unfamiliar room with simplistic furniture, but the most prominent thing in sight is warm blue eyes staring over him and a painfully tight grip on his shoulders.

His skin feels wet, both hot wet and cold wet and his vision is so glazed that the dark blue is the only discernible thing in the sea of neutral colours. There's an incoherent ramble near his ears and the word "Jarvis!" in yelled clearly. Before he has much time to think upon this new development, his head lolls back and he's seeing black again.

~oOo~

At first it was just simple shivers and shakes that looked harmless enough, but then the god's pulse had increased two fold and Tony stares at the live feed from the guest room. Loki was tossing wildly now and Tony's complete disregard for his own safety kicked in as he stumbled over his own feet, scrambled out of the workshop and burst into the guest room.

He's scrambling over the bed before he has coherent thought and grabbing Loki by the shoulders shaking him violently. "Come one wake up!" he yells desperately, shaking the body nearly limp in his arms as the man's head jerks side to side, up and down, this way and that, strange and irregular, not in any form of pattern.

A bottle of water appears in his peripheral and he absently thanks the robot, Butterfingers, for delivering it to him as he empties it onto Loki's face, shocking the trickster enough to stop him from jerking around and opening his unseeing eyes wildly.

He tries to remain in Loki's line of sight if he even has one, his eyes glazed over in such a manner it's hard to tell. The body beneath him physically weakens, the tension in its muscles dropping.

"Jarvis!" he yells, entirely at a loss on what to do as the Trickster's head rolls back onto the pillow, limp along with the rest of his body.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it's not as long as the others and without Casper it reads like shit and Tony's OOC and there's just so many thinks wrong with this story *headdesk*


End file.
